The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-07-02

how to get the pay and escape the
work-puzzles grown people, how more
seriously must it have imposed itself
on Billy Hill. who must set column
and a half of small plea, go in SWIM
ming ut least twice, dig for bait, figure
on keeping somebody's boat, and play
certain number of games of euchre
and all this each dayp If his cases
were full of type to-day, he could set
his column and a half in exactly three
hours eighteen small sticksful ut
ten minutes to each stick. There
would be no room to drink or speak in
this time. 1t would simply be grand
rush.
If he should stop for any thing--to
sweep the Office, to bring water, to roll
fora job--how iirctrievably he would
compromise himself! The stint once
set in type, the distribution could be
done the next day. But ah! that next
day would find Billy hopeless slave,
and what was the use of accomplish
ing the stint il one could not go fish
ingP
Thus the long June days had come
upon Billy and found him sinking
deeper under the gigantic Labor Prob
lem. Week after week it would be
said of him, in terms of the deepest re-
proacll-much as they spoke of JEFF
Davis, for war times were on tho land
that Billy had not set his stint once
in the whole week. while Ernest
Crivcts, in the opposition Office, set his
two columns of long primer, day after
day.
The great Fourth-er-July APP
preached. The day was already fixed
"a week from Saturday-strange feel
ing of awe! We all have it when we
approach our idols. Flaming posters
filled every dead-wall. Had not the
foreman gained in every body's esteem
by working three-sheet bill in two
colors? Prodigious feat! Gigantic in
tellect! "The day we celebrated
Eagles arrows - thunderbolts - full
dash! That picture of the eagle cost
seven dollars at the type foundry. The
foreman had convinced the editor that
the Office must have horse and an
eagle if it were to keep its good run of
| job work.
Now, with foreman working green
ink one day and red ink the next, and
making three-shect posters that actual
ly went together, and that announced
Governor Morton. Joshua R. Giddings,
the Swamp Angels, the Lisbon Cadets,
the Poughkeepsie Silver Brass Band,
the CREASED pole, the smooth pig and
the race in meal-bags, how could The
cub in the Office do any thing but fall
into contemplation of the grandeur of
that day which had brought forth the
Declaration of Independence and made
tyranny trcmble?
Having fallen into contemplation,
how could he get up his stintp
And so. after week of unutterable
gloom. going from bad to worse, the
case of BILLY came up at the family
table the night before the Fourth.
"Hc hasn't set his stint Il single day
this week. said the good wife.
"Well, he'll have to set it to-mor-
row-that's all," said the editor.
This decision was handed down from
the Supreme bench Habeas corpus,
supersedeas, quo warranto, ay, the
Declaration of Independence itself
would not avail the offender. He must
work, when. no other human being in
that whole village would be at toll.
Dreadful outcome of a scheme con-
ceived in the spirit of. philanthropy!
So thought Billy, or words to that
end.
And yet what can not bright youth
accomplish 1t would be dayb ut
three o'clock. The boy took pillow
and lay down on the parlor lounge.
At day he was up and away.
AT half-past three he was at work,
with three punches of fre-crackers in
his trousers pocket and a full account
of the burning of the cathedral at Sam
tiago de Chill, the previous Christmas,
OH his case for copy.
When the first cannon went off he
pied but half u line. 1t was the only
break he made. A small boy loves to
chew thistlebloom and spit tobacco
juice, like men. He had no time for
any such adult tricks now.
At half-past six he came down the
stretch in front of time; he ran all the
way to the lake; at seven o'clock the
boys padded ashore and took him into
the boat At a quarter to eight he had
caught formidable snapping-turtle,